Computer programs or generally software is utilized in a variety of ways throughout many industries. In one example, user interactive application programs are employed for accomplishing specific tasks such as word processing, accounting/bookkeeping, email or messaging or the like. In another example, database applications are employed where a common storage of data (i.e., the database) is shared among plural users.
It is becoming common for application programs and database programs/applications to be customized for a specific company (set of end users). For example, in the insurance industry there are many types of insurance (property and casualty, automobile, homeowner, etc.) For each type of insurance, various regulations and statutes (federal and/or state) may apply. Further, individual insurance agencies or companies may impose certain limits or conditions per insurance policy or as a function of the type of insurance. Because of the wide variety of combinations of these factors (insurance type, jurisdiction, specific insurance company), most insurance application software programs (for creating insurance policies or quoting policy rates, for example) are highly customized.
The ability of software writers/programmers to supply leveraged software solutions to the respective industries, such as the insurance industry, is complicated by companies' desires to differentiate themselves within their industry by providing variations to the industry-standard products and/or services offered in the marketplace. This company imposed requirement must be balanced with the need to develop automated processes that provide economies of scale to the development and maintenance of software programs. With respect to insurance software programs, this means that a single change to the base software program may or may not need to be reflected across all states and companies when and where it applies.
To date there is a lack of such economies of scale in the development and maintenance of software programs per a given industry. This is especially true in the insurance industry.